Suspended Utica officer resigns

A Utica police officer suspended Nov. 13 for allegations of inappropriate behavior resigned Tuesday as part of an agreement with Oneida County District Attorney Scott McNamara, McNamara said.

BRYON ACKERMAN

A Utica police officer suspended Nov. 13 for allegations of inappropriate behavior resigned Tuesday as part of an agreement with Oneida County District Attorney Scott McNamara, McNamara said.

The officer, Vincent Cognetto Jr., initially was reassigned to desk duty then suspended without pay after being accused of acting inappropriately toward young women during traffic stops, police said in November.

McNamara said an agreement was reached that if Cognetto resigned, McNamara’s office would not proceed with charges of violating state law.

“Our main objective, from Day One, was to make sure he was terminated,” McNamara said.

McNamara said Cognetto violated many policies and procedures of the Utica Police Department but didn’t clearly break any state laws. McNamara wouldn’t discuss details of the violations or potential charges because Cognetto still has to be presumed innocent, he said.

Because of the nature of the violations, McNamara believes the best way to ensure the public’s safety is to remove Cognetto from the police department, he said.

“That is not a person we want to be carrying a badge and representing law enforcement,” he said.